Under the Night Sky
by lannistersdebt
Summary: Remus writes a letter to his son about his first date with Tonks.


**A/N: ****This was written for CaseyLove`s "Harry Potter IPod Challenge". The criteria was that you keep it under 5k words and base the story on a song title that you were given. My song was the title of my entry, "Under the Night Sky."**

**This entry could not have been completed without the help of mah wonderful beta, Demi-kins :) When I thought about the title, I knew that I wanted romance. I mean, what else could really happen 'under the night sky' that wouldn`t seem...well, weird. And I refuse to write weird. Romance, I can write - after I get a little push, which Demi provided. She gave me the ideas, I fleshed them out, and here we are! So, thank you very much Demi! 33**

***note, I did change the timeline just a bit for this to work how I wanted. In the series, Tonks and Lupin aren`t actually together until after the Battle of the Astronomy Tower and Tonks isn`t back to being happy until Dumbledore`s funeral, when she and Lupin hold hands. That, obviously, was in June. This takes place in December, and is written as a letter from Lupn to their son.**

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><p>Teddy,<p>

If I don`t manage to teach you anything else, please listen to this. Follow your heart, especially when it comes to a woman. A lot of people say that you`ll fall in love several times, but I disagree. I think you only truly fall in love once, though you can be in lust several times, and there won`t be any question in you of whether or not a lady is 'the one' or not. Well, there shouldn`t be. If there is, then she is not it.

I tried to deny what I felt for your mother, mainly because of fear for her well being. But that wasn`t the only reason. I didn`t have much money, since it`s hard for one afflicted with lycanthropy to find work, and I was too old for her...plus, there was the factor of lycanthropy itself. You see, it isn`t all that easy to be a wolf - and it isn`t always safe for those around me. But the feelings I had for her wouldn`t disappear, because that`s how love is. It knows no boundaries, ignores them even.

My rejection forced her into a depression that had such perfect timing it almost seemed like that was my way out. Her cousin, and my dear friend, Sirius Black had just been killed. She was withdrawn and had troubles controlling her appearances, and her Patronus took on the form of a werewolf. Everyone besides myself assumed that it was all because of Sirius, but I knew better. It was because of me.

The guilt began to grow, and soon I knew that I wouldn`t be able to put things off any longer. I was going to have to do something... and then she saw how Fleur still loved Bill despite the injuries Fenrir Greyback inflicted upon him. Right there, in the hospital wing where we were surrounded by the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione, she told me that she loved me and that that was all that mattered. Needless to say, I caved in.

But a relationship does not become whole just by words; it requires actions.

We didn`t have many dates because we didn`t feel that we needed them, but I insisted upon the traditional first. It was a bitterly cold night, December tenth... There was a couple of inches of snow on the ground, giving everything a typically winter appearance. We met at the Three Broomsticks, though I arrived first. I waited outside the door, hands shoved deep into the pockets of my worn robes. Only a few minutes later, she walked toward me with a radiant smile, her hair back to the bubble-gum pink that I and so many others had been missing so much for the past months, and I knew then that I had been foolish for resisting for so long.

I smiled back and opened the door, following her into the building that has been host to so many memories. The shrunken heads greeted us, as I hope they will one day do to you, and just before we made our way to the only empty table, I caught our reflection in the mirror at the front. Tonks was colorful, I rather drab. Quite the interesting pair, yes? Perhaps it is true that opposites attract.

We continued on, through the maze of people, and your mother was just as clumsy as always. Just before we reached our destination she tripped over one of the legs of a chair and knocked over a tower of bottles sitting next to. After the mess was cleaned up we slipped into our own seats and ordered a warm butterbeer each. I don`t remember all of the conversations we had as we drank, though I highly doubt they would be considered interesting to you as they most likely had to do with boring stories from our jobs, or dull Ministry business.

I don`t remember how long we sat there either, though we did both go through a couple bottles. Warm and content, we both stared out the window beside us. Almost white with frost, it was hard to see out of, but it was possible. The shapes outside were distorted and in places, the reflection of the flickering fire shone. Your mother reached up and rubbed a line across the pane, one that went from her side of the table to mine, so that we could both see better. Nobody stood outside now, and all appeared quite on the other side of the walls we were in. As we watched, tiny flakes of snow began to drift down, becoming larger and larger as the minutes passed.

Suddenly she tugged on my hand until I stood up, barely giving me time to toss Madam Rosmerta her money before she pulled me out the door. In the street, she looked up at the sky, her eyes dancing, and stood with her arms outstretched. "Isn`t it just wonderful, Remus?" she asked me. And I agreed with a laugh, though I was thinking to myself that she was more wonderful than the weather.

Like a little kid, she stuck her tongue out to catch a couple flakes, and then spun around. I walked toward her, noting her eyes were closed. As she spun, she moved from the spot she had been standing in, her feet somehow managing to avoid tripping one another. She spun right into my arms, and I smiled down at her as I gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze before letting her go. We began to walk towards the school, and she began to hum as we went. I supplied the words in my head as I reached for her hand.

"Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,

In the lane, snow is glistening

A beautiful sight,

We`re happy tonight.

Walking in a winter wonderland."

Snow crunched underfoot as more fell. I shivered slightly, pulling my robes tighter and glanced over at your mother, who fell silent as I took up humming the next verse. We continued to walk and hum, our breath looking like carbon clouds when it hit air. When we came to the edges of the little town, we stopped at the same time and turned toward one another. It was as if she could read my mind, and I hers. I bent my head and kissed her gently. When we needed to breathe, we reluctantly ended it, but I pressed my forehead to hers. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see the lights from Hogwarts shining in the distance, and smiled again. "Look," I said, and she turned around. I put my arms around her waist and rested my chin lightly on her shoulder, my eyes on the castle. It was so cold that my lungs hurt and my nose was beginning to go numb, and snowflakes were beginning to freeze to my eyelashes, but I wouldn`t have traded that night for all the physical warmth in the world. I had enough from your mother, under the night sky.


End file.
